Endoscopes with a variable direction of view frequently have at the distal end of the endoscope shaft a swivellably housed deflecting element as part of the imaging optics in order to set the desired direction of view by means of the swivel position of the deflecting element. With conventional endoscopes, the swivel position is set, for example, by means of a rotating wheel provided on the handle of the endoscope. The set swivel position can be seen by the position of the rotating wheel. A disadvantage of this is that, when observing the object displayed by means of the imaging optics of the endoscope (thus when observing the image produced by means of the imaging optics), the user can no longer see what rotation position the rotating wheel occupies and thus, when observing the image, does not see just which direction of view is set.